Glossary
CLSID
A CLSID (Class ID) is the name given to a global unique identifier (GUID) when it is used to refer to a class. A GUID is a 128-bit integer that is guaranteed to be globally unique. See also GUID.
COM
Component Object Model (COM) is Microsoft's framework for developing and supporting program component objects.
DDE
Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) allows information to be shared or communicated between programs. DDE uses a client/server model in which the application requesting data is considered the client and the application providing data is considered the server.
GUID
A GUID (global unique identifier) is a 128-bit integer used in COM to identify an interface or other entity. The algorithm used to generate a GUID is (almost) guaranteed to produce a number that is globally unique.
In COM, every interface or class has an accompanying GUID that uniquely identifies that interface. This means that two classes or interfaces, which have the same name, will never conflict because their respective GUIDs would be different.
When used to represent an interface, a GUID is often referred to as an interface ID (IID). When used to represent a class, a GUID is referred to as a class ID (CLSID).
OCX
An OCX is an Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) custom control. Microsoft now calls an OCX an ActiveX control.
OLE
OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) is Microsoft's framework for a compound object technology. Part of Microsoft's ActiveX technologies, OLE is part of a larger, more general concept, the Component Object Model (COM).
ROT
Running Object Table (ROT) is a table of registered running COM servers. A workstation's ROT keeps track of those objects that can be identified by a moniker and that are currently running on the workstation.